The Open: 150th Open in St Andrews led to £300m boost for Scottish economy

The figure came from a study commissioned by the The R&A, VisitScotland and Fife Council.

The historic Championship provided a total economic impact of £106 million to Scotland – new money entering the economy – according to the study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).

Independent research led by YouGov Sport also shows that £201m of destination marketing benefit was delivered for Scotland, the Home of Golf, as a result of The Open being broadcast worldwide.

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, said, “The 150th Open was a historic occasion for golf which has generated a substantial economic benefit for Scotland thanks to a record-breaking attendance at St Andrews and tens of millions of fans worldwide who watched the Championship broadcast.

“We enjoyed a hugely memorable week in which we welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the home of golf for perhaps the most eagerly anticipated Open of all time that certainly lived up to its billing.”

The Open attracted a championship record 290,000 fans to St Andrews, surpassing the previous high mark of 239,000 set at the same venue in 2000. The study concluded that Fife alone had received a £61 million injection of new money.

The economic boost was welcomed by politicians.

Christina McKelvie MSP, Culture Minister. said, “Scotland is the Home of Golf and this independent report confirms the significant benefit The 150th Open brought to our economy.

“The Scottish Government has a long-standing track record of supporting golf events, including direct support for the annual men’s and women’s Scottish Open. Last year was an unprecedented success for golf events in Scotland, headlined by The 150th Open at St Andrews.”

Councillor Altany Craik, economy and finance spokesperson for Fife Council, said, "We were delighted to welcome record-breaking numbers of visitors to Fife in 2022 for The Open.”He added: “The past three years have been a very difficult time for tourism, and this provided a very welcome boost to our accommodation providers, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses. The Open is an ideal way to showcase Fife to an international audience.”